I read a powerful book called Critical Mass by Mario Murrillo. In the book, he likens revival to a nuclear reaction. He writes about how God will bring a core of people together who are hungry for a move of God. They want to see Him move with their whole heart, and they begin to fervently pray. As they begin to pray, other people join them who have a similar heart.

In nuclear fission, when there is enough radioactive material fused together scientists can shoot a neutron beam into that mass to start a reaction. The beam causes those molecules to move. Eventually, this movement is going to release the power of the atom, but first critical mass must be attained. Critical mass means that you have enough nuclear material to sustain a nuclear reaction. Just like it takes atoms coming together to create a critical mass, God has been, over the past few years, causing people who have a heart for revival to be attracted to places where there is a hunger for a full-blown move of God.

When the scientists keep shooting that neutron beam into the radioactive material, and just before the nuclear reaction begin to take place, something peculiar begins to develop. Where once there was activity and expansion, all of a sudden it looks like all activity ceases and that nucleus does not expand, it actually contracts.

This is where many of the revivals that have ever hit the earth die. There have been tremendous moves of the Spirit of God; wave after wave of His glory but people failed to press the battle when they “felt” a waning in the Spirit. God intended for people to contend for revival in consistent prayer. Instead, most become discouraged and give into their feelings. He had intended revival to explode and touch an entire region or nation. If our revival stays in the reactor and never reaches the streets of the city, we have fallen short. So many revivals stop right there. Why? People are discouraged. They are worn out. They have been going to evening prayer services and early morning prayer meetings. It seems like everything they have worked for is slipping away. It seems like things may be slowing down instead of speeding up and people begin to be moved by what they see rather than the prayers that have already been invested.

It is at this point that the believer, and the scientist, have to make a decision. The scientist must decide that regardless of what may seem to be going on, they are not only going to keep that neutron beam firing, but they are going to keep pumping more and more into it until they actually have a nuclear reaction. Likewise, the believer must press the battle until the move of God comes and touches our nation. Press until it touches the world! We need to keep the beam focused until we have a nuclear reaction that sends revival out in every direction.

That is where the church is today. I will tell you, something begins to happen when this stage is reached. Murrillo calls it the “dark night of the soul.” Maybe it seems like everything you have worked for has stopped moving; you feel as if everything you have been praying for is at a standstill. But we already know what to do, KEEP PRESSING THE BATTLE!

One thing you can count on is that there is a always a next to prepare for. Your season will change. You won’t always have the job that you have now or the current position that you occupy at your company. We shouldn’t be shocked when seasons end, but we usually are.

Most of us are not as tuned into our hearts as we should be. We had a nagging sense or just felt that something was up – but we didn’t pay that much attention to it. Then we are surprised by what we were being alerted to or warned about. Pay attention!

The Scripture Promises that the Holy Spirit will Forewarn Us:

John 16:13 KJV Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

The Holy Spirit is communicating to us all the time. All too often, we are just not paying that much attention. It is time to start paying closer attention to what He is telling us about our next season.

The Holy Spirit is our Connection to Accurate Prayer about our Future:

Romans 8:26-27 NASB In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; (27) and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

The Holy Spirit searches the depths of God’s heart about our future. Our weakness is that we do not know what to pray concerning the next season of our life due to our lack of ability to see into the future. We don’t even comprehend why certain people have connected with us or why some door has closed. Our knowledge is based solely on what we can see or by what our reasoning can deduce. All this is very limited. He, on the other hand is infinite. He has infinite knowledge and sees our future as clearly as our past. Our success would be insured if we could pray from the vantage point of His knowledge rather than just our own. Enter the Holy Spirit!

You Can Pray into Your Future by Praying with the Spirit:

1 Corinthians 14:14-15 NASB (14) For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. (15) What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.

Tucked away in this passage is a clue. When I pray in a tongue, although my mind is unfruitful (does not understand) my spirit is fruitful. The outcome is that I should pray with the spirit and the understanding. How is my understanding going to become fruitful? The answer is in the verse just preceding:

1 Corinthians 14:13 NASB (13) Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.

Pray that You May Interpret:

If a person who speaks in tongues can pray for natural understanding or interpretation then a person who prays in tongues can do the same. Our minds become fruitful or productive when they receive insight and revelation from the Spirit. The order of prayer in 1 Corinthians 15 is significant. “I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also.” Prayer in the spirit then begins to order the prayers being made with the understanding.

When we don’t understand why things that were comfortable in the past are no longer even tolerable, it may be a sign that change is upon us. We can pray into that season shift if we choose to. We can be prepared ahead of time if we take time to pray in the Spirit. Pray with the spirit and with the mind also. Then, you will be singing as your season shifts and not crying about it.

When soldiers is in the battlefield want to advance on an enemy’s position they call for covering fire. They are able to advance as a unit by firing their weapons to suppress the enemy. This causes the opposing forces to take cover momentarily, allowing for fellow soldiers to move to a more advantageous position. If we are going to affect a city, we need more intercessor prayer “covering fire.” We need to increase the “prayer covering” over our families, churches, and leaders more than ever before. We cannot afford to back off of this vital mission.

One of the by-products of prayer will be a keener sense of discernment. Discernment will keep us ahead of the opposition. This kind of discernment will be imperative for the end time harvest. We cannot afford to do what we think is best. There is abundant grace available to us, but I am concerned for the people who seem to think that whatever they want to do is right. We do not have time for works of the flesh! Jesus is coming soon! We need to know exactly what He wants to see accomplished. If you are going to do anything for Him, you need to take up the sword of the Word of God right now! Put your hand to the plow right now and do not look back!

James 5:16 tells us that the prayer that produces the results we need is fervent prayer:

“… The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Fervent prayer is made by someone who, like Abraham, was fully persuaded with nothing wavering! This type of prayer expects for a favorable result. Romans 4:20-21 says,

“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”

Praise God! We have this example from the father of our faith. We can be certain that if we press the battle with our faith, we have the assurance that God will carry out His promises. In James 1:5-6 we read,

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.”

Move out in to prayer and praise. Pray when you feel like it and when you do not. Praise when you feel like it and when you do not. Above all else remember to never let up on the devil. Keep pressing the battle. When you do you are laying down cover fire for those who are going in to enemy territory. We must be vigilant because at any time someone around us could shout, “Cover me, I am going in!”

It is because of resistance that many believers do not have an active prayer life and do not go after the mission God has for them. I do not know what I expected before I developed a prayer walk. I think I expected angels to be singing in the morning around my bed and Michael the Archangel to come and gently take the sheet, pull it gracefully back and softly speak, “Come, thou servant of the Most High God. The presence of the Lord awaits you in the living room.” Do you suppose that anyone has ever experienced that? I doubt it! You must enter the throne room like every other believer. What way is that? You must stir up a desire within you. Luke 18:1-6 says,

“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.”

There was a unique way that the widow approached the judge caused fear to rise up in him. He said, “lest by her continual coming…” In this particular passage it says that she came continually. She had an aggressive attitude. She was willing to press the battle. When the greatest challenge in your life is deciding between a black or brown leather Bible, how do you suppose you are going to face the enemy in mortal combat? How are you going to face the enemy in taking a city or a nation for God and not fold under the pressure?